HCFoo's Tennis Blog at HCFOO.ASIA!

May 25, 2009

Yes, it's PINK!

Go watch the match between Rafael Nadal and Marcos Daniel now.

(Image by Jacques Demarthon/AFP/Getty Images)

2009 French Open Day 1: This is just the beginning...

Defending champion Ana Ivanovic was made to sweat before concluded a 7-6, 6-3 victory over Italian Sara Errani to reach the second round of the French Open.

Errani was not very happy with the umpire during the match with Ivanovic.

Li Na, who missed last year's tournament due to injury, had the honour of becoming the first player to reach the second round thanks to a 6-4, 6-2 win over Marta Domachowska.

Eighteen-year-old Russian qualifier Vitalia Diatchenko, the world no.151, can't bear to see a tearful Mathilde Johansson whom she beat 2-6, 6-2, 10-8.

Diatchenko, making her Grand Slam debut, will face either world number one Dinara Safina or Britain's Anne Keothavong for a place in the third round.

Ivo Karlovic had set a record of 55 aces in a tour-level match but still he lost to former world no.1 Lleyton Hewitt who will move on to the second round after winning 6-7 (1), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3.

Marat Safin made sure there would be at least one more date on his French Open farewell tour when he eased past French wildcard Alexandre Sidorenko 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Smoking hot Fernando Verdasco had an easy first round win over Florent Serra after beating the Frenchman 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.

Nicolas Almagro gave Agustin Calleri a brotherly hug after defeating the Argentine 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.

Andy Murray is another player who had an easy win. He defeated Juan Ignacio Chela 6-2, 6-2, 6-1.

Gilles Simon survived a five-setter against American Wayne Odesnik. Simon was forced to work hard before winning 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

Hottie Robert Kendrick also survived a five set match after beating Daniel Brands 6-7 (7), 7-5, 7-6 (13), 4-6, 6-3.

For further results, click here.

TV is not showing Ernests Gulbis vs Sam Querrey match. I better go catch my beauty sleep now. Good night!

(Images via Yahoo! Sports)

May 24, 2009

Weekend winners... who are not in Paris yet

Aravane Rezai won her first WTA title when she beat Lucie Hradecka 7-6, 6-1 in the Strasbourg International final.

Alexandra Dulgheru, a Romanian qualifier ranked no. 201, won the Warsaw Open (gulp!) in her WTA Tour debut by beating Alona Bondarenko 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-0. Lucky girl!

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez won his first ATP Tour title, rallying past Julien Benneteau 3-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3 in the Austrian Open final.

Serbia defeated Germany to win the World Team Cup, becoming only the second team in the tournament’s 32-year history to lift the trophy on its debut.

Viktor Troicki claimed a 6-4, 7-6 (5) win over Rainer Schuettler and Janko Tipsarevic sealed the victory by beating Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2, 6-4.

Nicolas Kiefer and Mischa Zverev took a point for Germany, beating Troicki and Nenad Zimonjic 7-5 4-6 10-7.

(Images via Yahoo! Sports)

More Roland Garros practice photos

It's less than 1 day before the 2009 French Open starts.

Here are more photos of the players practicing and adjusting to the red clay at Roland Garros.